Walk Alittle Straighter
by Nacoutte
Summary: based on Billy Currington's "Walk Alittle Straighter"


Walk alittle straighter By Nacoutte  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronin Warriors, and I don't own Walk alittle Straighter, their respected creatures own them. Rated PG for alcoholism.  
  
I remember lookin' up to look up to him.  
An' I remember, most the time he wasn't there.  
I'd be waitin' at the door when he got home at night.  
He'd pass me by to go pass out in his chair.  
  
Rowan sat cross legged in the middle of the living room. He had a book his lap but he couldn't concentrate on it. At five he was already reading chapter books. His mother was proud of him, always praising him when he finished one, but his father never noticed. Rowan tried to read the book in front of him but he keep glancing at the front door. He wanted to get as much read as possible before his father came home but he was too excited. He was going to show his father how much he had read that day and make him see.  
Glancing at the door again he sighed and turned another page. He was over halfway done with the book. Suddenly he could hear keys jingling on the other side of the door. He jumped up and ran over to it, careful not to lose his page. He laughed quietly as he heard the keys fall to the ground and the muffled cursing of his father. He thought his father was so funny at times. Finally the door was pushed open and the man walked in.  
"Daddy look at this, look how far I got in the book." said the blue haired boy.  
The man just walked past him. He almost fell over twice on the way across the living room.  
"Daddy?" asked the boy just watching him.  
  
An' I'd say: "Walk a little straighter, Daddy,  
You're swayin', side to side.  
Your footsteps make me dizzy,  
And no matter how I try,  
I keep trippin' an' stumblin'.  
If you'd look down here, you'd see:  
Walk a little straighter, Daddy,  
You're leading me."  
  
Rowan watched his father walk out of the kitchen with a bottle in his hand. He sat down in his favorite chair and turned on the TV. Rowan smiled and walked the same stumbling way his father did over to the chair. He thought it was a game.  
"Look daddy." he said holding up the book so he could see the page. " I read it all today."  
The man glanced away from the TV and took a drink from the bottle.  
"All that?' he asked. The boy wrinkled his nose at his father breath but nodded.  
"Yeah, all of it."  
"Good job." said his father with little emotion in his voice. He turned back to the TV and ignored his son. Rowan walked slowly back over to his seat in the middle of the room. Suddenly he didn't care about reading anymore.  
  
He stumbled in the gym on graduation day.  
An' I couldn't help but feel so ashamed.  
An' I wasn't surprised a bit when he didn't stay,  
He stumbled out before they called my name.  
  
Rowan sat with all his classmates on the big stage. His best friends were scattered around the arranged chairs. He wished they didn't have to sit alphabetically. He scanned the audience quickly while the principal was talking about what fine students they were and all the possibilities they were offered. He found his mother easily. She had flown in from her recent adventure to see her son graduate. He looked the audience over one more time before turning his attention to the principal. He couldn't find his father anywhere.  
The principal finally stepped aside after what seemed like hours to Rowan and let the guest speaker start. As Rowan settled in to listen to him he heard the gym door open. He glanced over, like everyone else, wondering who was coming in. Rowan's heart stopped when his father stumbled in.  
He never said a word as he tried to walk up the isle. The guest speaker kept going on and on but it was apparent that everyone was watching his father. Rowan fought off the embarrassment that was creeping to his face. He glanced over at his best friend but the blond didn't move. He just stared at him with apologetic eyes. Rowan looked away and back to his father. Giving up on trying for a seat the man turned and walked back out of the gym. He didn't even try to find his son in the crowd.  
  
An' I thought:"Walk a little straighter, Daddy,  
You're swayin', side to side.  
It's not just me who's watching,  
You've caught everybody's eye.  
And you're trippin' an' stumblin',  
And even though I've turned eighteen,  
Walk a little straighter, Daddy,  
You're still leading me."  
  
One of Rowan's classmates leaned over as the door closed with a loud thud.  
"Way to go Hashiba. You're dad just ruined our graduation." he whispered "He did not." whispered Rowan back not looking at him.  
"Yes he did. He's just a drunk and you know what, that runs in the family, so you're going to be a drunk too." The kid laughed quietly as he turned away from Rowan.  
Rowan had enough of his classmates making fun of him and now they were starting on his father. Jumping up from his seat he punched the kid in the nose. Everyone stopped and looked at him. The kid grabbed it and blood started to leak out between his fingers.  
"See you're just like him already!" he yelled. Before Rowan could hit him again Sage grabbed him and pulled him away.  
  
The old man's still like he always was,  
But I love him anyway.  
If I've learned one thing from him,  
It's my kids will never have to say:  
  
Rowan glanced around the small apartment he had grown up in. Christmas was being held there that year. His mother was in town for a while and had decided to get her son and his family together. His mother and wife were in kitchen putting the finishing touches on the dinner. His daughter, Hala, was drawing in the middle of the room and his father was in his chair. Suddenly she jumped up and ran over to her grandfather with a picture in her little hands.  
"Look grandpa, look at what I drew." She held it up proudly for her grandfather to see. Glancing away from the TV he looked at the picture.  
"Good job." he said, not meaning it and went back to the TV. She turned slowly away from him. Rowan remember all those years ago when he was 5, the same age as his daughter, and would try to show his father the things he did.  
"Come here sweetie." said Rowan opening his arms. His daughter ran over to him and climbed into his lap.  
"Look daddy." she said holding the picture up for him.  
"That's beautiful honey. Why don't you go show mommy and grandma?"  
The little girl nodded and ran off.  
  
"Walk a little straighter, Daddy,  
You're swayin', side to side.  
Your footsteps make me dizzy,  
And no matter how I try,  
I keep trippin' an' stumblin'.  
If you'd look down here, you'd see:  
Walk a little straighter, Daddy,  
You're leading me."  
  
Rowan smiled as she jumped up.  
"Hey Rowan." said his father from the chair.  
"Yeah dad?"  
"Can you get me another beer?" Rowan sighed inwardly but nodded.  
"Sure." He knew his father was never going to quit, but he accepted that.  
"You can have on if you want." said his father as Rowan stood. He glanced back at the man in the chair. He had never offered him one of his beers before. But as he walked into the kitchen and saw his wife bending over to look at his daughter picture he shook his head.  
"No thanks dad." he called and opened the fridge.  
  
"Yeah, walk a little straighter, Daddy,  
You're leading me." 


End file.
